Chocolate Cake

Last Saturday we were invited to a friend's place to celebrate their son's new achievement. At a tender age of 9, he has completed reading the Holy Quran. Of course dont compare if you are in Malaysia or any other Muslim country, I know there are even younger children who has become Tahfiz (Tahfiz means a person who memorise the Holy Quran) at an even younger age. But being abroad and not living in a Muslim environment with scarce source of ustaz/ustazah, I am very impressed and putting me to shame as none of my children has done it. Alhamdulillah, I have got a new mission to achieve this time to ensure that my kids will be able to complete the Holy Quran and Insyaallah, to have Majlis Khatam Quran for them one day. It was a simple do with him reciting to us Surah Al-Fatihah and some Ayat from the Separa and finish off with a Doa. It sure did touch my heart and it was so rejuvenating.

My other half requested that I made chocolate cake for us to bring along. Here's the recipe I got from my PIC quite a while ago.

Ingredients:-

250gm butter
1 3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cup hot water
3 tbsp milk powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:-
1. Combine cocoa powder and hot water, mix well and set aside.
2. Sieve together plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and milk powder.
3. Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time and beat till fully incorporated.
5. Add vanilla essence.
6. Add 1/3 flour mixture and 1/3 cocoa mixture alternately. Repeat till finish.
7. Bake in a preheated oven 160C for 50 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before spreading with butter cream or chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

250 ml cream
250 gm dark chocolate or milk chocolate (up to your liking)
30 gm butter
a pinch of salt
1tbsp of caster sugar (optional)


Method:
1. Heat the cream until it begins to boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add the chopped chocolate, sugar and salt. Stir.
3. Add the butter and still till become smooth.
4. Chill the chocolate mixture for a while before spreading in onto the cake.